Misusing God's name is FAR larger than just saying "- -".
Let's look at some Scriptures that tell us something about God's Name, or in the Hebrew Ha Shem.
Exodus 20:7 You shall not misuse the Name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.
3 central ideas and words in this command:
1st word, nasah to carry or to take. Misuse, you shall not nasah, not carry or take the Name of God in misuse or vain.
2nd word, shawv in vain, nothingness or emptiness in the original language, or more detailed definition anything that disappoints the hope which rests upon it.
3rd word, shem name. God is referred to many times in the OT as Ha Shem or the Name. There was a sense in ancient times that there was some kind of energy associated with Ha Shem.
What is a Name, and what does Gods Name do?
Ex 23:20-21 Behold, I am about to send an Angel before you, to guard you in the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. Be on guard before Him, and listen to His voice. Do not be rebellious against Him, for He will not forgive your transgressions; for My Name is in Him.
God speaking of this angle messenger is saying that His Holy Name can be placed in another being.
Deut. 12:11 And it shall be the place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause His Name to dwell there
Gods Name is going to live somewhere.
Ps 20:1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble. May the Name of the God of Ya`akov set you up on high
..
Notice here that Gods Name has power to protect, His Name is doing things.
Isa 30:27 Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from far away, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke.
This Name is capable of moving around on its own, and you can see coming from afar, in this case judgment. Gods Name does stuff. Gods Name has this presence about it that in some way Gods Name is present in some way God is there in His fullness as well.
Micah 4:5 Indeed all the nations may walk in the name of their gods; but we will walk in the Name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
Check out this concept of Gods Name. Gods Name here is not something you say to get Gods attention, or something that gets placed in people, dwells in a particular location or something that comes from afar. Micah refers to it as something you can walk or live in the Name. Gods Name here is a realm or dimension you can live in. Youre either living in the Name or outside of it living in some other name.
1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled in the Name of Christ, you are blessed, because "the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you."
Peter here makes the connection between the Name and something else, that something else is God and Gods Spirit. Gods Name here is synonymous with the actual presence of God and therefore Gods Spirit.
3 John 6-7 They have testified about your love before the assembly. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, because for the sake of Ha Shem they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
The Name of God gets placed on people, and these people go around and carry the Name of God wherever they go. So a Christian is someone who carries the Name of God on them. If you are a follower of Jesus then the Holy untouchable Name of Ha Shem has been placed upon you.
If this is true then God for some mind-blowing reason entrusts His reputation to people. One of the primary ways God makes Himself known is through people who He places His Name on. If youre a follower of Jesus, then you carry the Name, the Name of God rests on you. Wherever you go and whatever you do you are carrying the Name of God into that situation, and what you do God is present in your actions.
God set it up that a world of people that do not know God would see these people who carry Gods Name around and would see from these people what God is like. This is one of the central ways God teaches the world what He is like.
I have heard people say I want to be a witness for God. Technically according to the Scriptures EVERY Christian is a witnesses to God. The question is, are you doing it well? What are you a witness to, a God of grace and mercy? Or a God that is judgmental and harsh waiting to zap you. Are you a witness to a God who identifies with the marginalized and the oppressed, minority and brokenhearted, or are you a witness to a God that is only interested in getting more stuff? To carry the Name is to witness to what God is like.
Swearing (saying _ _) is generally seen as taking place outside the Christian community. That isnt the point of the third commandment. If swearing is only language and things you say, they you have missed the central component of the third commandment. God is saying to them I am placing my Name on you, so dont misuse my Name, the larger issue is not language the larger issue is how do you live. People are how God tells the world about Himself, and if we misuse His Name, if we live in a way contrary to God, we are not presenting the world with an accurate picture of what God is like. You can swear with your tongue, but you can also swear with your life and how you live. Swearing in the larger sense is claiming to carry the Name and then living in direct contradiction to how God teaches us to live.
My question is: Is there more swearing by people inside the church or outside the church? I would say that more people are guilty of swearing are religious people, those who claim to follow God and then dont do it. People that carry the Name, knowing full well what it means to carry the Name, and then live anyway they want. That is Biblically a more holistic understanding of swearing.
Is there any area of your life where you are swearing?
but what about when your frustrated at someone and you say "lord have mercy", you still mean it, but you're also rolling your eyes and sounding sarcastic when you say it, is that taking his name in vain?
